160 Advances in Fluvial Processes and Sediment Transport, Part I

We encourage submissions on fluvial geomorphology, fluvial processes, and sediment transport including field studies, numerical modeling, physical modeling, and spatial analyses.

Tuesday, 21 October 2025
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
HBGCC, 212AB

The Prevalence of Microplastics in First-order Streams Across a Range of Watershed Land Uses

Paper number: 160-12
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 11:05 AM – 11:20 AM

Authors

Abstract

Microplastics are an emerging environmental concern due to their prevalence and their durability. Microplastics have been found across a range of terrestrial and aquatic habitats, as well as in the organic tissue of many species. The goal of this study was to investigate small, first-order streams across a range of land uses in New York and New Jersey for the presence of microplastics. It was hypothesized that watersheds with urban land uses would have significantly more microplastics, and that forested watersheds would have little to no microplastics. Rivers were sampled at baseflow, the water filtered, and then the samples analyzed under microscopes to visually identify microplastics. Samples averaged between approximately 5 to 15 microplastics per liter, and microplastics were identified at all sites regardless of land use. The prevalence of microplastics in a stream in a state forest with a very low level of human influence was especially surprising, and suggests the importance of atmospheric deposition for microplastic delivery.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 57, No. 6

doi: 10.1130/abs/2025AM-413498

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